Carlos Kambaekwa
Windhoek-Namibian football has been thrown into further turmoil amid damning allegations of tribal divisions, incitement and backstabbing.
Some executive members of the Namibia Football Association (NFA) are reportedly not comfortable with the manner in which the association’s boss Frans Mbidi conducts himself.
The NFA honcho stands accused of unnecessarily sowing division among regional members in an apparent desperate effort to destabilise harmony among the NFA affiliates.
Insiders say Mbidi has embarked on an aggressive mission to push for the amendment of the NFA constitution in order to allow him to run for another term. Mbidi’s initial three-year term expires next year but the northern businessman is apparently eyeing another term in office.
The NFA constitution only makes provision for two four-year terms, but Mbidi is deemed ineligible to run for the presidency because he has been an executive member of the NFA before he was elated to the plum position of president.
Sources close to the unfolding saga say Mbidi is extremely ambitious and would stop at nothing to have the statutes amended to pave the way for his presidential candidacy.
“He (Mbidi) has resorted to applying dirty tricks in his desperate bid to win votes. He is now hell-bent on getting NPL Chairman Johnny ‘JJD’ Doeseb, removed by hook or by crook,” says the source, pleading for his identity to be withheld for fear of reprisals.
Furthermore, the NFA honcho is accused of meddling in the internal operations of the NFA Secretariat.
The brother is fingered for unlawfully micro managing the NFA secretariat – an exercise that inevitably has bruised morale among staff members at Football House.
“There’s a definite strong tribal undertone to Mbidi’s underground manoeuvrings. He is causing divisions while at the same time disharmonising peace and stability within the football family with his tribal tendencies.”
Mbidi’s election as COSAFA vice-president has also been placed under the microscope after it has emerged that his candidacy for the post was neither discussed nor endorsed by the NFA Executive.
The sudden withdrawal of Tigers’ representative Lukas Nanyemba, from the NPL Management Committee (MC) is suspected to be a well-orchestrated plot to get him freed from any wrongdoings – thus making him eligible to throw his name in the hat as a contestant for the “soon-to-be-vacant” position of NPL chairman.
Mbidi and his cronies are ostensibly driving an agenda to topple the current NPL management, including its outspoken chairman, from the pedestal via a motion of no confidence.
It has also come to the fore that Mbidi has in the meantime scheduled a secret meeting with the chairpersons of the four northern regions, Oshana, Ohangwena, Oshikoto and Omusati at the village town of Okongo in the Ohangwena region tomorrow.
Approached for comment, Mbidi did confirm the meeting but declined to disclose the purpose of the meeting.
Further pressed to touch on the meeting’s agenda, he reluctantly said; “No comment…just go back and ask more information from the person that told you about our meeting”.
New Era Sports is in possession of invites sent via SMS to dignitaries by the NFA spokesperson Fire Mwatilifa, a non-executive member of the association.